Here's a tough one!

[SaSi]

My drive isn't that old.. and as I said, I havent got the cash to throw around =( as for recompling, I'm still not convinced thats the problem, Just last night I did a dvd backup from a store bought DVD and it failed to read in any of the DVD players also... but when I ISO'd a previous backup and reburned it.. that one worked fine

I am quoting your post: Recording an ISO image ensures that the file structure is left intact, like the original DVD. This, to me, proves that your problem is in the way the file system is generated when you "manualy" define it through nero.

Since you can author a DVD, start with a simple 5 minute project. Will save you time when recording. If the 5 minute project is sucessful, so will be a full movie (in terms of recording s/w and settings).

[FulciLives]

I don't think the problem is NERO because even ImgTools classic and DVD Decrypter didn't work.

That's why I along with so many others think it is either the drive (needs cleaning or is going bad) or the media (so far only crap quality media has been used).

This is the problem now ...

Immortalis refuses to think that his drive is in error and/or his media.

So there is nothing left for us to do but walk away.

You can bring a horse to water but you can't make him drink.

You can offer the best advice you can but that doesn't mean the person will follow it.

That is now where we are as far as I can see.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[northcat_8]

Alright...now, being of a more patient mindset at this current time...here is what you do:

Author the DVD into its VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS folders...I assume you still have those.

#1 - open WinDVD or PowerDVD and play the DVD from the folder.

---->if it plays proceed to step #2
---->if it does not then you need to reauthor the DVD as your structure is bad.

#2 - open IMGtools and create an image file (ISO) of the DVD

#3 - if you haven't yet, download Daemon Tools and mount the ISO image in Daemon Tools.

#4 - open WinDVD or PowerDVD and play the DVD on the virtual DVD drive installed by Daemon Tools.

---->if it plays proceed to step 5
---->if it does not play, then your image is bad, remake it (I've never had this happen...but you never know)

#5 - open DVD Decrypter, select MODE > ISO > WRITE and burn the DVD. Let Decrypter burn it at MAX speed (default).

If the burn completes with no errors and the lead in and lead out are written (just watch the screen as Decrypter burns it).

If after this process, your DVD will not play in your stand alone then you have bad media. Bad media is not necessarily meaning that the disc won't play at all. It could be that your brand of DVD player does not like that brand of media.

I would almost be willing to bet a paycheck that your DVD structure is not bad, because it plays on the PC. If I have any structure problems AT ALL WinDVD won't play the video, won't even open it, just sits there with its stupid purple screen acting like I didn't select anything.

You have been told by several people on here that do this sort of thing as a business and as a hobby that the problem is your media...maybe you don't have the money to throw around..who does?...but until you get a good brand of media you are going to deal with this mess all the time.

The most widely agreed upon "Good Media" are the RitekG04 and the Taiyo Yuden. I personally buy RitekG04 and that's all I use, but those in the know have spoken very highly of Taiyo Yuden.

I am split on the decision between bad media and Nero being the problem. Notice in my process you didn't see any mention of Nero anywhere in there

[northcat_8]

I just ran across this link which may help you with your issues.

https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=127624

It is old but has been viewed 245194 times.

[Nelson37]

Well, this has gone on far too long.

First massive clue was the -RW worked and the -R did not, same files. While these DID change from the previous incomplete effort, the completed file did NOT, only the media. All problems with authoring, file compatibility, etc. negated at this point.

What has changed in the process? Nothing. Possibly the media, likely the drive.

Either repeat the process with an RW or repeat a DVD rip process as was known to work in the past. Took a while, but you did this, still a bad burn.
Apparently you have done several bad disks.

Possible but unlikely to get so many bad disks in a run. Try some RW and a different, quality brand of blanks, BUT -

Throw in the "power calibration error" and almost certainly a dying drive. If still under warranty, free replacement. Ask about an upgrade, but AFTER they tell you the replacement model. (the upgrade may be free due to your model being out of stock)

[Immortalis]

Well, I've fixed all my problems. I want to thank everyone for trying to help and most of all FulciLives, whos suggestion led me to another problem which led me directly to the solution.

FulciLives suggested:
1.) Create an ISO IMAGE FILE of your VIDEO_TS folder using the classic version of ImgTools
2.) Burn that ISO IMAGE FILE with DVD Decrypter
3.) Use Taiyo Yuden DVD-R media as it is the best money can buy!

This didn't work because I had long erased the home video off of the RW however, only the RW was working in the standalone players. I took my latest DVD Backup and burned it to the RW, gave it a quick test and it worked in the player. Used ImgTools to create an ISO of it but it kept failing... Read Errors. I knew there was nothing wrong with the RW so I went out and bought a DVD cleaning kit. Now I can burn problem free. The Wedding video burned great, plays on the stand alones... my latest DVD Backup burned great, I watched it last night and burned all of it at 4x with no errors. Just too bad it took me 23 cookies before solving it =(

But, once again.. thank you all for your help and suggestions.

[Floydscruffy]

I am having "almost" the same problems. And I use the same media as you are using, but different dvd players and burners.
The difference between your problem and mine is theat my compilation do work but they just halt or stop during playback in the standalone DVD player, sometimes once during the whole video and recently 5 times which is kind of anoying.

I also know that the memorex media is crap but I am not going to throw them away what Ive done so far to try to figure out is the Ive burned my c

Things that make me think it is not the media, the writer, nor burning softwar are:.

1. Recorded same authored video in two different media types and the movie halts exactly at the same point in both discs.
2. All "backup" movies that Ive made and watched fully work perfectly.
3. Use same software "for burning" when making backups or new authored DVDs

therefore, I think the problem is definetly during the encoding stage or the authoring stage as someone pointed in one of his posts as poin #6.

Now I recallreading an article or guide a few months ago about scannig for bad frames, I didn't pay most attention to it because it said that the whole encoding or authoring process would crash and this has never happen to me. But now that this problem is anoying me Ill try to find it and try it, if it works for me, specially for this particular video, Ill let you know and Ill definetly strart doing this for the rest of the time. Still for some reason I think it is more of a authoring problem.

[flaninacupboard]

bad frame scanning really only applies to downloaded movies.

you don't detail your encoding settings, sounds as though it could be a bitrate spike, grab bitrate viewer and check the files' bitrate, if it goes over 9.8Mbps then you'll need to re-encode, you file is not compliant.

[Immortalis]

I had a bit of a problem encoding my home movie too, I think it was just too much data at once. What I had to do was compile each of the 3 movies and the menu seperately, then throw them all together to create the IFOs. This fixed the problem. If your compile is just 1 movie, you may want to compile it in 3 or 4 parts, then use a vob joiner or build the IFOs accordingly

[twilightzone]

Hey Immortalis,
I got a question!!!!! Since you didn't want to listen to anyones previous advice about buying hi quality media because you could'nt afford it. Where the hell did you get the money to buy a dvd cleaning kit????? 8)

[Immortalis]

Theres a difference between buying something you dont have and buying something you already have .. and since it seems I do have to spell it out for you... There was nothing wrong with my media, so throwing away my media for no reason and buying more media just because someone says its better, is a waste of money which I can't afford... and since you can shoot your mouth off about spending money but didnt reply to my post about sending me media... we can end this discussion now. Thanks. I won't bother wasting my time responding to any more posts about my financial status, its none of your business. =D